Latu, Hanigan, Clark, Gordon and Mason are the only ones who have improved their reputations this year in my opinion.
I have a question for the faithful few. If I gave you a list of the 2017 squad (Less the proven performers and those I consider a sideshow) who would you say has taken their chance and run with it? Which players are pushing those around them and challenging for higher honours?
Latu, Hanigan, Clark, Gordon and Mason are the only ones who have improved their reputations this year in my opinion.
I think he's been OK off the bench. Actually think it's his best spot. Brings a nice spark.
Latu? By playing less?
Latu? By playing less?
Gordon, Simone, Mason are my obvious picks. I liked Holloway's form last year before he was injured, I haven't seen that form come back yet, so he's a maybe depending on up-coming games.
When playing, and certainly in the earlier rounds, he was the form Aus hooker. He hasn't been on the list of oxygen thieves for mine.
I have a question for the faithful few. If I gave you a list of the 2017 squad (Less the proven performers and those I consider a sideshow) who would you say has taken their chance and run with it? Which players are pushing those around them and challenging for higher honours? Think any number of Kiwi bolters.
Sam Needs
Tom Robertson*
Matt Sandell
Damien Fitzpatrick
Tolu Latu*
Hugh Roach
Ned Hanigan
Ryan McCauley
Senio Toleafoa
Jack Dempsey
Jed Holloway
Michael Wells
Brad Wilkin
Jake Gordon
Matt Lucas
Andrew Deegan
Bryce Hegarty
Mack Mason
Irae Simone
Cameron Clark
Harry Jones
Andrew Kellaway
Latu? Maybe Hanigan, Wells?
The trend is the same at the Reds, and these crowd figures for the Tahs are scary bad (in terms of both the Tahs financial and commercial situation in terms of fan adherence levels):
Alan Jones calls for Daryl Gibson to be sacked, says Israel Folau is .
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwitrOjD98PTAhVLy7wKHUApCNsQFggmMAE&url=http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/alan-jones-calls-for-daryl-gibson-to-be-sacked-says-israel-folau-is-overrated-20170423-gvqkbx.html&usg=AFQjCNHTsB5P6rqdYCufuX6v3Y7OSBSFew&sig2=eE5TUgCxQkf9Pv1GNT8Mlw
From my experience the difference for these teams to be profitable or at least not totally in the shit is the value generated by the walk up crowd . That and any potential revenue you can generate from hosting a home final are really the only variables you are playing with financially once the season kicks off .
You're a few days late on breaking that one!!!
I call bullwhip on that.The mystery of the Tahs declared 'crowd numbers' is helpfully being unravelled by Payto and Pando tonight
“For a long time, years and years before I arrived, we’d counted numbers for locked in members, those who had commitment as stadium members, and we had problems for a long time with actual crowd numbers so that’s why we stopped publishing them,” Allen told us.While members who may not have attended were counted then, there are still major issues with the way they’re done now, with catering staff and security among those who are potentially tallied as spectators.Whatever way it’s done, it’s fair to assume that the crowd figures you see from clubs are not an accurate reflection of the number of people who have purchased tickets to watch games."